Reduction of substances in contaminated fluids using a naturally occurring biological growth media

A method of reducing the concentration of one or more substances present in a fluid from a first concentration to a second concentration that is lower than the first concentration, the method comprising:

• introducing at least a portion of a microbial growth, the fluid containing one or more substances at the first concentration and a biological growth media to an aerator;
• maintaining in the aerator a biological growth media concentration of from about 1 milligram of biological growth media per liter of fluid (mg/l) to about 5,000 mg/1;
• maintaining in the aerator a dissolved oxygen concentration of from about 0.1 milligrams of oxygen per liter of fluid (mg/l) to about 5 mg/l by dispersing an oxygen containing gas into the fluid;
• promoting the formation of a biological sludge that includes microbial growth and biological growth media in the aerator;
• reducing the concentration of the one or more substances in the fluid from the first concentration to the second concentration through the physiological consumption of at least a portion of the one or more substances present in the fluid by at least a portion of the microbial growth in the aerator;
• discharging from the aerator at least a portion of the fluid containing some or all of the substances at the second concentration;
• forming a blanket of the biological sludge in the aerator;
• removing a first portion of the blanket of the biological sludge from the aerator;
• returning the first portion of the blanket of biological sludge to the aerator to provide at least a portion of the microbial growth in the aerator;
• separating a remaining portion of the blanket of biological sludge into at least (1) a separated biological growth media-rich component comprising at least about 50% by weight separated biological growth media, (2) a microbial growth-rich biological component comprising microbial growth and (3) a fluid-rich portion;
• introducing at least a portion of the fluid-rich portion to the aerator;
• and
• introducing at least a portion of the separated biological growth media-rich component to the aerator to provide at least a portion of the biological growth media.

A system to treat a fluid including one or more substances at a first concentration, the system comprising:

• (a) a contactor including:
• (i) at least one inlet connection to receive the fluid including the one or more substances at the first concentration;
• (ii) at least one inlet connection to receive a biological growth media;
• (iii) at least one inlet connection to receive a biological sludge that includes a microbial growth;
• and
• (iv) at least one outlet connection to exhaust a mixture that includes the fluid, the biological growth media and the microbial growth;
• (b) an aerator including:
• (i) at least one inlet connection to receive a mixture that includes a portion of the fluid including the one or more substances at the first concentration, a biological growth media and a microbial growth;
• (ii) at least one inlet connection to receive an oxygen containing gas;
• (iii) at least one gas dispersion system to disperse the oxygen containing gas into the mixture to aerobically stimulate the formation of biosludge that includes at least microbial growth and biological growth media through the physiological consumption of at least a portion of the one or more substances by at least a portion of the microbial growth within the aerator;
• and
• (iv) at least one outlet connection to exhaust the mixture that includes a fluid, the biological growth media and the microbial growth, the fluid including some or all of the one or more substances at a second concentration, the second concentration being less than the first concentration;
• and
• (c) a separator to apportion into a biological component and a separated biological growth media-rich component comprising at least about 50% biological growth media, the mixture that includes the fluid, the biological growth media and the microbial growth, the fluid including some or all of the one or more substances at a second concentration, the second concentration being less than the first concentration, the separator including:
• (i) at least one liquid/solid separations stage including at least one inlet connection coupled to the aerator to receive the mixture exhausted by the aerator that includes the fluid, the biological growth media and the microbial growth, the fluid including some or all of the one or more substances at a second concentration, the second concentration being less than the first concentration, the at least one liquid/solid separations stage configured to apportion into a fluid-rich portion and a biosludge-rich portion, the mixture exhausted by the aerator that includes the fluid, the biological growth media and the microbial growth, the fluid including some or all of the one or more substances at a second concentration, the second concentration being less than the first concentration;
• (ii) at least one solid/solid separations stage to apportion at least some of the biosludge-rich portion into the separated biological growth media-rich component and a microbial growth-rich biological component;
• (iii) at least one discharge connection to exhaust the portion of the fluid-rich portion to the aerator;
• (iv) at least one discharge connection to exhaust the microbial growth-rich biological component from the system;
• and
• (v) at least one discharge connection to exhaust at least a portion of the separated biological growth media-rich component to the aerator.